CODE BOOK STOLEN

Evening Star, Issue 15478, 28 April 1914, Page 8

CODE BOOK STOLEN

rmCELESS VOLUME REPLACED BY

DUMMY. Service circles in England are deeply concerned by a remarkable incident which occurred on board one of His Majesty’s battleships at Sheerness. A signal code book, to which great importance is attached. since it would enable any person to decipher the most confidential signals sent in war time by ships of the British Fleet, was abstracted from the ship under circumstances which point to a carefullylaid plot. A number of confidential book's, including the one in question, are usually kept in a case on board the ship, and it is the duty of one of the officers of the ship to see periodically that all the books are in order. It appears that the usual routine has been followed during the ship’s cc remission, but when, casually, a closer investigation was made of the books recently, it was found that one of them, and that the code signal book, had been abstracted. and a volume closely resembling it in every external detail had .been prepared and surreptitiously placed in the case. There is reason to think that for soma days this clever imitation of the original volume had been cursorily “ passed ” as being the actual code signal book, ard, consequently, the task of tracing the thief is extremely difficult, as there is no evidence to show when the change was made. The only possible clues which the authorities have of the culprit are some finger-prints which are now being examined. The supposition is that the book has been stolen by someone in collusion with the spy of a foreign Power, but so far nothing has been discovered to assist the police in solving the mystery. A number of members of the crew have been detained pending the result _ of the investigation which - s being carried out. It is known to the authorities that spying has been very actively conducted of late, and that large sums have been offered for confidential documents bearing upon naval and military defences.